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An efficient, beautiful form. The home’s simple shape and peaked shed roofs lend efficiency in energy performance and cost, and its materials speak to regional influences. Clapboard siding and pine timbers used to construct the walkway and porch are just a few of the subtle details that make this project at home on its site. Design ViDeo For an inside look at this home, visit FineHomebuilding.com/houses. R-80. With triple-glazed aluminum-clad Kneer-Sud windows and doors, the home’s conditioning needs are so low that the primary heat comes from just a few small and inexpensive electric baseboard heaters. A fresh-air supply—imperative in such an airtight, well-insulated home—is provided by a Zehnder heat-recovery ventilator (HRV) that exhausts stale air from the kitchen and two bathrooms, and introduces fresh air to the living room and bedrooms. There is no need for air-conditioning in the summer months. The simple, all-electric mechanical system is supported by a 4.6kw photovoltaic array, which helps keep the annual heating costs at just $300. The final components of the mechanical system are the water heaters. To reduce energy use and utility costs, two 40-gal. electric water heaters were installed. When just Nico and Ellen are home, one heater keeps up with the demand. When guests arrive, flipping a switch activates the second unit. www.finehomebuilding.com Such smart strategies set this home apart from most others. Nico, who may not have recognized the truth in that statement before building this house, has a whole new perspective and a new message. “If you’re building a new house, you totally owe it to yourself to find a builder who knows what’s possible with today’s building materials and technology,” he says. “Now, when I drive by what seems to be a typical build, one that looks like it’s being built to the basic code, it just seems like such a wasted opportunity.” We can build better, and this particular home in Maine’s midcoast region is a testament to what’s possible when a designer, a builder, and their clients are guided by building science’s best practices and a commitment to true quality in design. □ Rob Yagid is the editor of Fine Homebuilding. Photos by Trent Bell. SpRINg/SuMMER 2016 67